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Rehabilitation
Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (RCBVI)
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Our Mission
"To Work in Partnership with Kansans who are Blind or Visually Impaired
to Achieve their Goals for Employment and Independence." The original Rehabilitation Center for the Blind (RCB) was established in 1948 and formally dedicated by Helen Keller and then Kansas Governor Frank Carlson in September 1949. The RCB was one of the first rehabilitation centers to serve people who are blind or visually impaired in the United States. The new RCBVI relocated to its renovated building within the Kanza Business and Technology Park at 2601 SW East Circle Drive North in Topeka on March 16, 2001. In achieving this complex task, significant consideration was taken to design a facility to meet the needs of blind and visually impaired persons into the new century. In doing so, we focused on developing a cutting edge, state of the art training center with the tools and equipment needed in both our instructional classrooms and a specific technology lab for clients to practice and gain the crucial skills which will more fully promote an individual capable of addressing the work market needs of today and tomorrow. We increased instructional computers from three to 16, in addition to three new technology lab computers. We can now serve up to 25 individuals with the advent of new instructional areas and equipment. We also designed a new Braille Library which houses materials of interest to a wide range of individuals in an appropriate media of choice. The new RCBVI in Kansas is pre-eminent among rehabilitation centers for the blind in the United States. We offer over 22 different kinds of Closed Circuit Television Systems used to assist people with low vision and have an expansive and growing inventory of other cutting edge vocational assessment tools and assistive technology for the blind which we use to assist Kansans who are blind or visually impaired to gain and retain competitive employment outcomes. The new RCBVI was formally rededicated at its new location on September 21, 2001. The Honorable Governor of Kansas, Bill Graves, provided rededication remarks. Governor Graves also issued a Proclamation on September 20, 2001 stating his "Re-commitment to Support the Training Needs of Our Blind Kansans through the Rededication of the New Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Kansas and urges all citizens to join in this observance." The old Dormitory Building, co-located with the old Training Building, was closed on August 16, 2001. Interim housing and food service for up to 16 clients was made available at Brookfield Apartments in Topeka. The new Dormitory (formerly the Woodward Building) is co-located with the new Training Building and has a capacity of a minimum of 16 individuals with the ability to house up to 22 if needed. It opened in March 2003. |
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Contact our Web Designer at Frances.Smith@srs.ks.gov
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